Prime suspect dismembered victim’s body in six hours with orthopaedic skills: Ghaziabad police

The landlord, Umesh Sharma, a resident of Radha Enclave, and another man, Pravesh Kumar Sharma (42), a resident of Bisrakh in Gautam Budh Nagar, were arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the murder of Ankit Khokhar that took place in Modinagar on October 6. Police said that both suspects were produced before a court and sent to judicial custody

The Ghaziabad police on Thursday said the man who allegedly murdered his 40-year-old tenant told them that his experience as a compounder at an orthopaedic clinic helped him chop the body up and dispose of it.

Ghaziabad, India - December 15, 2022: UP Police arrested two persons Umesh Sharma and Pravesh Sharma who allegedly killed Ankit two months ago, at Kotwali Modinagar police station in Ghaziabad, India on Thursday, December 15, 2022. (Photo by Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

The landlord, Umesh Sharma, a resident of Radha Enclave, and another man, Pravesh Kumar Sharma (42), a resident of Bisrakh in Gautam Budh Nagar, were arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the murder of Ankit Khokhar that took place in Modinagar on October 6. Police said that both suspects were produced before a court and sent to judicial custody.

“Umesh told us that he strangled Ankit in his room and bought a two-foot-long axe generally used for cutting wood. He used the axe to dismember the body into three pieces. This entire process took him about six hours. He then put them in separate polybags. He said he thought there would be a higher possibility of the body being identified easily if he disposed of in a single piece,” said Iraj Raja, DCP (rural).

Police said that they will now take Umesh in police custody, and added that several teams are now searching for the body parts in Khatauli (Meerut), canals in Muradnagar in Ghaziabad and near the Eastern Peripheral Expressway.

“The three body parts were disposed of late on October 6 in a car. It is now vital to recover the body parts in order to build a strong case against Umesh. The blood-stained axe and Ankit’s internet banking codes and ATM card have also been recovered at his instance,” the DCP added.

Police said that after the murder, Umesh resigned from his job.

Ankit, who was from Baghpat district, was staying as Umesh’s tenant for at least six months before he was murdered on October 6, police said. He was the only surviving member of his family and had sold his parental property for ₹1 crore three months before he was murdered, police said.

About three months before the murder, Umesh had taken a loan of ₹40 lakh from Ankit.

After the murder, Umesh withdrew ₹20 lakh using Ankit’s cards and codes in different denominations through online banking and ATMs, police officers said.

He later gave Ankit’s ATM card to his friend, Pravesh, and asked him to withdraw more money, police said.

The police said they have recovered Ankit’s mobile phone from the possession of Umesh. In the initial weeks after the murder, Umesh used Ankit’s mobile phone and replied to several messages sent by the latter’s friends, police said.

Ankit’s friends noticed a difference in expression in his chat messages and responses, and when they tried to call him, Umesh did not answer the phone, police said. Becoming suspicious, they approached the police and filed a missing person complaint at Modinagar police station on December 12.